1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a seal member, and more particularly, to an insulating seal member for use in association with a plurality of beverage cups which cooperatively facilitate maintaining associated cold and warm beverages (e.g., water, pop, soda, beer, tea, coffee, hot chocolate, etcetera) below and above ambient temperatures, respectively, for extended periods of time.
2. Background Art
Insulators and seal members for use in association with beverage cups and associated assemblies have been known in the art for years and are the subject of numerous patents, including, but not limited to: U.S. Pat. No. 8,448,810 entitled “DOUBLE WALLED BEVERAGE CONTAINER AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME;” U.S. Pat. No. 8,056,757 entitled “HOT BEVERAGE CUP SLEEVE;” U.S. Pat. No. 6,474,498 entitled “THERMALLY INSULATED CONTAINERS FOR LIQUIDS;” U.S. Pat. No. 6,138,862 entitled “CUP STRUCTURE WITH HEAT ISOLATION EFFECT;” U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,493 entitled “COMPOSITE CONTAINER FOR VACUUM PACKAGING OF PRODUCTS;” U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,529 entitled “COLLAPSIBLE INSULATED RECEPTACLE FOR BEVERAGE CONTAINERS;” U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,580 entitled “INSULATED BEVERAGE CONTAINER;” U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,507 entitled “HOLDER FOR A CONTAINER;” U.S. Pat. No. 4,671,424 entitled “INSULATED CAN HOLDER;” and U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,391 entitled “BEVERAGE INSULATOR WITH ADVERTISING PANEL”—all of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, including all references cited therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,448,810 appears to disclose a double walled container for insulating a beverage. An outer insulating shell or container is secured to the inner container that holds the beverage. A gap exists between the outer container and inner container and the air in the gap acts as an insulating barrier. The inner container is preferably a standard aluminum container. The outer container is preferably made from aluminum or a plastic polymer. The outer container may have annular or longitudinal grooves that assist in securing the outer container to the inner container, and the grooves may also provide an enhanced gripping surface as well as a visually pleasing aesthetic design. The outer container may include a base, or the base may be eliminated in favor of a sleeve configuration for the outer container.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,056,757 appears to disclose a hot beverage cup and sleeve which bring together two modes of heat transfer, conduction and radiation. The sleeve has an inner face with a plurality of high reflectivity surfaces for radiating heat back to the cup. The sleeve also has a plurality of insulating members for containing insulating air. Each of the insulating members is positioned to space the high reflectivity surfaces away from the cup. A low emissivity film can be adhered to the cup without touching the insulating members. The film can also be attached to the sleeve facing but spaced from the high reflectivity surfaces. This cup and sleeve arrangement minimizes thermal contact and reduces heat transfer. Thus, the hot beverage cup and sleeve protect a person's hand as well as extend the time of keeping the beverage hot.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,474,498 appears to disclose containers for liquids, commonly dispensed for consumption at a temperature below ambient (such as chilled soft drink cans) that can be maintained for extended periods below ambient, after they have been dispensed from a refrigerated container, by providing a lining member formed from a plastic material having closed cells and providing insulating properties. The lining member may, for instance, have large cells and be dimensioned to fit within the shell of the container, or can be formed as a layer on the internal surface of the shell of the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,138,862 appears to disclose a cup structure with a heat isolation effect, thereby, if two cups according to the present invention are overlapped, the combined cups have a preferred heat isolation effect. The bottom of the cups are installed with respective isolation elements. When the user overlaps two cups, he (or she) can rotate the inner cup with an angle, so that the isolation element of the inner cup can rest against the isolation element of the outer cup. Therefore, by shielding the isolation element of the outer cup, the bottom of the inner cup cannot rest against the bottom of the outer cup, thus a space is formed therebetween. Especially, the handle on the lateral side of the cup has a preferred effect. Therefore, if a hot food is filled into the cup, because of the isolation of the space, the hot temperature of the inner cup cannot be transferred to the outer cup and thus the heat isolation effect is attained.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,493 appears to disclose a composite container for vacuum packaging of products which is constructed, as follows. A hollow body portion defines a desired shape for the container and has an inside surface. A liner layer is in a superimposed position within the body portion and covers the inside surface for receiving the product inside the liner layer and the body portion of the container. An elastic material is positioned between the body portion and the liner layer for movably attaching the liner layer to the body portion in the superimposed position while allowing the liner layer to constrict and move away from the body portion by stretching of the elastic material when a vacuum is formed on the product packaged in the container and then allowing the liner layer to move back into the superimposed position within the body portion of the container by retraction of the elastic material when the container is opened and the vacuum on the product is removed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,529 appears to disclose a collapsible insulated receptacle for beverage containers which is constructed of material which is light weight, sturdy, recyclable, biodegradable, and provides a suitable medium for high quality color separation printing. The receptacle embraces the beverage container such that the consumer can maneuver the beverage container by maneuvering the receptacle. The receptacle is collapsible to a size which is easily and efficiently transported before sales or distribution and able to be transported by the consumer in a clothes pocket.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,580 appears to disclose a container organization including an exterior wall spaced from an interior wall defining a conical body formed with a reinforced rib at its upper end and a floor at its lower end. The body includes an insulated medium therebetween. The insulated medium includes circumferentially equally spaced ribs there along either alone or in association with a sinusoidal corrugating medium wherein the corrugating medium may be mounted directly to the ribs or spaced therefrom by an intermediate wall. A plurality of insulated mediums may be utilized offset relative to one another by one-half amplitude relative to one another to effect adhesive contact between upper and lower peaks of respective lower and upper sinusoidal corrugating mediums. Further, a single sinusoidal medium may be utilized spaced from the interior and exterior walls by offset ribs adhesively mounted to alternating upper and lower peaks of the corrugating medium.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,507 appears to disclose a molded container for a bottle, the container is of double wall construction so as to provide good thermal insulation and the bottom of the container has a castellated opening or recess into which the crown seal of a bottle can be inserted for facilitating removal of the crown seal of the bottle. Also disclosed is an injection molding die for forming a double walled container.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,671,424 appears to disclose an insulated can holder defined by an outer shell of a moldable, resilient plastic material and an inner, removable insulating liner inside of the outer shell. The shell carries at least one flat, indicia bearing and integral portion whose interior surface bears against the insulating liner to thereby define a non-circular cross section of the holder and thereby increase the contact and friction between a can and the liner.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,391 appears to disclose a one-piece plastic insulated beverage receptacle holder having longitudinal side panels, one of which is wider than the remainder and recessed to accommodate ad copy or the like.
While insulators and seal members for use in association with beverage containers are commercially available, problems associated with simplicity, portability, cost, and beverage temperature regulation remain problematic.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an insulating seal member for use in association with a plurality of beverage cups which remedies the detriments and/or complications associated with conventional seals, insulators and/or insulating configurations known in the art.
It is therefore a further object of the present invention to provide an insulating seal member assembly in combination with a pair of cups which remedies the detriments and/or complications associated with conventional seals, insulators and/or insulating configurations known in the art.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent in light of the present specification, claims, and drawings.